How a Bengal Tiger led them to an Emmy

Music directors Salim and Sulaiman Merchant have been nominated for an Emmy for their work on American show, Wonder Pets. iTALK catches them for teen sawaal

Music directors Salim and Sulaiman Merchant have been nominated for an Emmy for their work on American show, Wonder Pets. iTALK catches them for teen sawaal

How did the association with the show, Wonder Pets, come about?
There is a company called the Little Airplane Productions, that got in touch with us. The first thing we asked them was how on earth did they hear about us. But they assured us that we were very famous (Chuckles).

They had seen Chak De, and a musical we have done called, Merchants of Bollywood, which was staged in Europe. The music for Wonder Pets had to be done in a similar opera format. So, that was that.

What do you believe is the USP of your song?
The show features on saving a certain animal from a particular situation during each episode. We were approached since the animal in question was a Bengal Tiger with a thorn in its paw. We had to give continuous music for 20 minutes; even dialogues had background music. We sent them a piano piece, and they loved it. The voices of the children were recorded in New York, while the Indian instruments were recorded in our studio, and actress Nandita Das has given the voice for the tiger. It was a challenging experience since we had no visual reference. The best bit: it was recorded like an opera, but with an Indian touch.

What does this nomination mean to you?
We are proud, of course. Sometimes you make great music, but don't find appreciation. And then sometimes, appreciation comes when you least expect it. That really satisfies the soul.